Homewrok - when do your kids do theirs?

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

My rule is also to make sure the homework is done before anything else or it becomes time for her to go to bed (her bedtime is 8pm) and her homework isn't done.

I don't mind if she gets a snack and takes a bit of a rest for 30 minutes but then she needs to work on it.

There are of course exceptions but I do try to make sure she gets it done before anything else.

My daughter seems to need about 10 hours of sleep a night so I try to make sure she gets it, although I rarely have to tell her to go to bed, she usually goes on her own.

[Kris270]

My kids have always had to do it right away after school. Sometimes they get a drink and snack first. That has always been the routine and they follow it. Plus they have activities at night (Girl Scouts, softball games, etc.) so homework needs to be done in order to go to these activities.

However, growing up we always did our homework right after dinner. We went to play after school, came home for dinner and then did our homework. Sometimes I think this would be better because they can enjoy getting outside before it is dark, chill out for a while and not be rushing through their homework because they want to play. Only thing they would miss would be watching TV at night which they can really live without.

Though when we were growing up we didn't do the extra activities so because of them the right after school rule had to be followed. Experiment with what works for your child.

Also, one rule I also have is that homework is THEIR responsibility and job not mine. I will help if they are stuck on something or check it when they are done but I will not sit with them and do problem by problem. After some whinning it has been well worth it and when you have more then one child it is a must.

[sskkc]

My kids (kindergarten and 2nd grade) know the rules... they are allowed a snack and juice, then it's homework time. After I check it, it goes back into the folder, folder in the backpack and backpack put away. It's about 20 minutes from walking in the door to handing me the homework, at the most. Nightly reading is started 20 minutes before bedtime. Sometimes we go a bit over, but my kids go to bed early, so it's no problem. My kindergarten and I "play school" when she gets home, but she does homework alongside my son when he gets home in the afternoon.

Last fall, one of the mom's from my son's class started a big thing over the kid's "45 minutes" of homework every night. As I'm the parent entrusted to check this stuff in on my volunteer day, I am aware her son did not do 45 minutes daily. He turned in his homework maybe 3x a month. The other moms (2) who stood with her had the same problem. They were ignored basically. How can you complain about a rule you don't follow? At these ages, homework is really simple - a way to get them in the habit, with only the occasional fun weekend project and no homework on Fridays.

There are times when we have something going on after school and homework has to wait. As my kids are early birds that wake up before 6am (no matter what time they went to bed), we do it after breakfast on those mornings... and at this point, it's THEM reminding ME. So much better than when I grew up - latchkey kid, no supervision afterschool, dinner at 8 or 9pm, then dishes and bed. The only time homework was mentioned or asked about was when report cards came out and my mother would tell the teachers she had a special place and time for us to do our homework every night, even though she worked. Boy... I remember asking her where that place was when I was 9 right in front of the teacher... after the beating ended, I never asked again.

[Nashcash23]

My kids usually come home, watch TV while they have a snack until dinner is ready, eat dinner, and then start on homework. After homeowork, the older children usually play video games, while i make sure our youngest gets in the bath. My girlfreind and I usually help the kids while they do their homework, which they really appreciate.